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Letters Patent No. 73,988, dated February 4, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN GORN AND UOTTON-OULTIVATOBS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. MILROY, of Galveston, in the county of Cass, and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Corn and Cotton-Cultivators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings making a part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation.

Figure 2 a plan view.

Like letters, in both figures of the drawings, indicate like parts My invention consists, first, in constructing a cultivator with a circular iron frame, provided with movable and self adjusting hoe shovels, so that when the cultivator is in motion they cannot be choked by clods or other impediments, and consequently will rfun much easier than if immovable in their several positions; second, ccnstructing two shovels forward-of the machine, with arms pivoted to a beam of the frame thereof, and the arms with a toggle'jointed lever, connecting with a hand-lever, provided with notches near the handle, whereby the operator, by means of the lever and a cross-bar or rod between the arms or fork of the handles of the machine, may extend out or draw in the shovels, as the width of a row of corn or cotton may require; third, constructing the rear end of the beam of a semicircular or curved form, and securing the end of the arms or fork of the handles thereto by means of a key, in such a manner as will enable the operator to depress or elevate the handles, as may suit his convenience for a better handling of the machine.

To enable any one skilled in the art to make and 'use my invention, I'will proceed to describe its construction and operation. l

A is the circular iron frame. 13 B B B B are the shovels. In practice the shanks of the shovels will be made round, and fitted loosely, but snugly, in holes of like shape in the frame, and project sufliciently above the top of the frame, with screw-threads on their ends, to receive screw-taps, which will secure them 'to the frame, the screw-taps being prevented from turning by keys. Five shovels may be all that are necessary to use for practical purposes, two being arranged at a suitable distance apart, at the front of the frame, and two in the rear thereof, and one in the centre, at the extreme rear end of theframe. C is the beam, properly fastened on the top of the frame at the front, and to a cross-piece, a,at the rear. D D are the arms of the forward shovels, pivoted to the top of the beam at b, the arms being properly made at the ends to overlap one another on the beam, and the pivot passing through them and the beam. E is the toggle-jointed lever, the ends of which are pivoted to the'top of the arms at c c. The joint of the lover is pivoted toa slide at d, made to overlap the sides of the beam, loose enough to admit of a free movement to the slide thereon. F is the hand-lever, one end of which is fastened to the toggle-jointed lever by the pivot of the same passing through it when attaching the lever to the slide. The other end of the lever is made with a suitable number of notches, 6, near the handle, and rests on the rod G, the ends of which are properly secured to the arms or fork of the handles. The rear end of the beam is made of a semicircular or curved form, (seef, fig. 1.) The end of the arms or fork of the handles H is made with a hole through it of the proper size, and slipped on to the curved end of the beam, and madev fast to it by a key, g.

Operation: The arms of the forward shovels are extended out or drawn in by the operator taking hold of the lever F, and when the shovels have been adjusted to the desired width of the row of corn or cotton, the lever is then fastened by one of the notches to the rod G. The circular-frame shovels, by reason of their being movable, turn to the right or left when meeting with clods or other impediments, and are thus prevented from choking. The operator, by means of the key 9, can adjust the end of the arms or fork on the curved part of thebeam, so as to depress or elevate the handles as he may desire for a convenient handling of the machine.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I The movable arms D D, toggle-jointed lever E, beam 0, notched lever F, rod G, key 5/, circular frame A, and self-adjusting hoe-shovels B B B B B, the whole as constructed and arranged, substantially in the manner and forthe purpose as herein set forth.

JAMES W. MILROY. Witnesses:

WILLIAM B. LAMB, Tnonmsune BALDWIN 

